Critic Rating: 4.6/5 

As Thanksgiving break approached, opinions, edits, and numerous emotions were expressed in regards to the release of the TV show Wednesday. The first episode of Wednesday was released on November 23, 2022, and ever since its release, the show has had a lot of success and received love from fans all across the world.

Wednesday is an American coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror series based on the character Wednesday Addams from the original 1991 The Addams Family movie. The show is set in a school known as Nevermore Academy; while there, Wednesday Addams attempts to master and learn more about her physical abilities while solving a mystery that involves killing sprees that her parents were also a part of 25 years ago. 

Wednesday, the character and the show itself, touched on teenage angst and what it feels like to be an outcast. Nevermore Academy, a school meant for outcasts who don’t fit in with the “normies,”  is home to the Fangs (Vampires), Furs (Werewolves), Stoners (Gorgons), and Scales (Sirens). Within these groups of outcasts, however, Wednesday is an anomaly due to her disturbing visions, which doesn’t let her fall automatically into any of the four categories. She is also emotionally distant and doesn’t have any significant interests or dislikes, which she describes as “tribal adolescent cliches.” Wednesday always sticks to wearing darker colors (especially black) and often has two long braids. 

The mystery that Wednesday takes on, as well as the ambition and bravery that she displayed throughout the show in confronting the mysteries and obstacles, was something I enjoyed. Having said that, the show felt unsurprising and rushed at some points. The conclusion to this monster mystery was quite obvious, as it was clear who the suspects and culprits were when watching the episodes. However, many scenes still brought positive nostalgia and were, occasionally, surprising to an extent.

Overall, the first season of Wednesday had a lot of spookiness and glory while also tying in fun and silliness at the same time, adding a magnificent spark to the show. However, one of the best things about the show was its lead actor, Jenna Ortega, who portrayed Wednesday Addams on an amazing level. Ortega displays the goth personality, body language, death stare, dance, and demeanor like no other throughout all eight episodes. Ortega perfectly captures all the nuances of the perplexing character that is Wednesday Addams. Wednesday goes through the typical character arc, but right away, she is confident in herself and doesn’t care for the opinions of others. She makes mistakes that are understandable given who she is, and yet she never wavers from her moral compass. She meets and makes friends despite her differences, which brings good and bad on her roller coaster of a journey. Overall, despite its occasionally convoluted premise, I enjoyed binging Wednesday and definitely look forward to what’s to come.